New gear is everywhere. And for those who give in to temptation, decisions must be made about the items being replaced.
One route is to sell you old iPhone, digital camera, iPad, or computer on the used market. And in a lot of situations, I think that makes sense. I know I've made a lot of people happy with a good price for a gently used item.
But I hang on to a surprising amount of equipment too. I bought this stuff when it was new, I know it's been well-maintained, and I have uses for it. What might those be? Well, let's take a tour around my studio.
The Original iPad
Even though it won't run iOS 8, my original iPad looks and operates exceedingly well. I currently have it serving as a digital picture frame. Plus, it works great with those iHome speakers you see in the illustration as a music player for my studio.
It's running iOS 5.1.1, and that's where it tops out. So as long as I use it for my basic environment enhancement, I'm fine. BTW: the battery is still fantastic and has amazing life.
2008 MacBook Pro 17" Laptop
I bought this 17" in early 2008 because of its exceptional screen with matte finish. I still love the way images look on it. A few years ago, I installed an SSD drive to replace its spinning platter. This move definitely added new life to the aging, but otherwise fine laptop.
Currently the MBP is running Mac OS X Mavericks, and it can handle the Yosemite upgrade later this year. So it's a full-fledged member of my Apple ecosystem.
Today, I use the 2008 MacBook Pro to record my weekly podcasts. I'll also be using this classic machine to record an upcoming title for lynda.com.
iPhone 4S Unlocked
There's still plenty of life in my iPhone 4S, and I've found a variety of uses for it.
My current favorite is keeping a SIMsmart card in it for travel abroad. Since phones out of contract can be unlocked, I maintain a European phone number with the 4S.
It's also my podcast player during my morning commute and on business trips. Everything works just as well as originally, and it will accept the iOS 8 upgrade when I'm ready.
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